Feeling Stuck With Writing? This 5-Step ‘Luck Spiral’ Changed Everything (and Helped Me Publish My Book)
How I use a simple spiral to build momentum and create my own luck
Today’s guest post is from the wonderful Tiffany King.
You can also create a positive spiral in your WRITING life.
If I didn’t believe in this kind of momentum, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
After almost two months of vacay (and lots of thinking about life, business, family, and work), I realized something big:
You can absolutely build your writing dreams in the cracks of time.
Stop doing what you think “real writers” do.
Forget the golden morning routine, 5 am writing sessions, and waiting for perfect silence to “deep work”. Life is too busy.
I wrote my way to a global #21 bestseller by grabbing 20 minutes here, 10 minutes there, and trusting that what I (and the people I wanted to feature) had to say mattered.
That’s why I love Tiffany’s post #7 in the Guest Post Substack Summer so much. It’s a beautiful reminder that you can build your own positive spiral, write that cookbook, launch your Substack, or finally start that side project you’ve been dreaming about.
Let this post be your nudge to take inspir-ACTION this summer.
Hello, lucky writers!
If you’ve ever doubted yourself as a writer or stalled out on a project, this post is for you!
I’ve been writing online since 2008, and even published a cookbook in 2018 …my proudest moment was seeing them stacked in Costco:
…but it’s only recently that I’ve identified myself as a writer.
After nearly two decades of recipe writing and building a business, then pivoting to studying positive psychology and coaching, I’m starting to write on a new topic – Luck!
Lucky people have several buildable skills that we, as writers, can emulate.
Hey, I’m Tiffany King from How to Be Lucky. 🍀
Today, I want to share how to create your upward spirals of self-fulfilling prophecies for your writing.
How Self-Fulfilling Prophecies Help Me Become a (Better) Writer
A self-fulfilling prophecy happens when we hold a belief or expectation, either positive or negative, and that belief influences actions to bring it into existence.
“Our attention is responsive to the world, but the world is responsive to our attention.” Iain McGilchrist
In order to be lucky, we want to create positive self-fulfilling prophecies.
This is where the magic happens!
5 Rings Of My Positive Writing Spiral - One Spiral Step At A Time
These are the five rings or steps on the upward spiral we’re building together.
This is the exact method I’m using to build an upward spiral for my writing on luck.
#1 Decide what you want
#2 Increase your belief of what’s possible
#3 Set your intention
#4 Seek out knowledge and skills you need
#5 Take action
A few notes about that list:
First, I want to acknowledge that sometimes we can decide we want something and then do nothing else about it, at least not consciously, and we still end up getting the thing we wanted. In cases like that, it’s as if our subconscious goes to work on the desire, bringing it into our lives.
More often, though, we need to put some attention and effort into it.
That’s where these steps come in.
We can upwardly spiral through each of these items multiple times, moving ourselves forward with each ring of the spiral.
The order isn’t set in stone, and often, we’ll be working in multiple rings at once.
Let’s dive into each of these rings or steps.
#1 Name Your Desire
In order to create a positive self-fulfilling prophecy, we need to know what we want. The more specific we can be, the better. That’s how we know what we’re aiming for.
These desires will deepen as you work through the upward spiral.
You may start writing with a desire to publish 50 weekly posts. After a year, you may uplevel that desire to earn money from your writing or to write a book proposal.
Each ring gets revisited as needed to keep going and growing.
#2 Increase Your Belief in What’s Possible for You
When I was in Andy Andrews’s entrepreneurship coaching program years ago, he talked a lot about the importance of increasing our belief in what’s possible and in what we’re capable of.
He pointed out that we can only achieve what we believe to be possible. So if we want to achieve at a high level, we need to increase our belief.
Seeking out inspiring stories of other writers is one way to increase your belief. Another is to celebrate your own wins, when a goal is achieved.
#3 Set Your Intention
Set your desire as something you intend to move toward actively. Write it down. Try writing it out as a SMART goal, if that’s applicable.
Add the reason why you want it.
“I will write weekly posts on the topic of luck, while also learning how to build my audience by working through Kristina God’s Substack School during the next three months”
…is an intention that is actionable and achievable.
I know exactly what I’m moving towards.
#4 Seek Out the Knowledge and Skills You Need
Chances are, there’s information you need to gather in order to move yourself closer to your desire. You may also need to acquire skills that will help you in this pursuit.
Take time to figure out what skills and knowledge you lack, so you can quickly close that gap.
Since you’re reading this on the Online Writing Club, you’re already doing this!
That’s exactly why you’re here.
#5 Take Action
For most self-fulfilling prophecies to come about, we need to take consistent action that will move us toward our desire.
Taking action on the things that will move your dream forward is the only thing that will work.
If I read every post and watch every video Kristina has made, but I never do any writing, my attempt at the upward spiral won’t go anywhere.
✅Put your writing sessions on your calendar
✅Give yourself deadlines and meet them over and over again
✅Join a writing challenge (Kristina has a wealth of info and inspo)
✅Pitch and idea to a newsletter, blog, or podcast
✅Comment on other writers’ Substack posts
Relevant, consistent action trumps everything else.
Try it!
Try crafting your upward spiral of self-fulfilling prophecy.
Grab a journal and pen and go through the rings, setting a plan for yourself, and your luck will begin to unfold from putting that plan into action.
👉If the idea of learning to become a lucky person resonates with you, I’d love to have you join me on my Substack, How to Be Lucky. 🍀
I share practical ideas for building a lucky and flourishing life.
Let’s Build Your Writing Spiral Upwards
🙏🙏Tiffany is a new member of the inner circle of the Online Writing Club and creates her luck to be featured in front of 14,000 wonderful people. I’m thankful to have her in our community! THANKS, Tiffany, for this inspiring and actionable guest post 🙏🙏
If you’ve ever felt blocked, uncertain, or like your writing dreams are always just out of reach, let me help you break free from self-doubt and start gaining real momentum.
The luckiest writers aren’t just lucky. They put themselves in a position of luck.
They are part of a community like the Online Writing Club with access to my one-of-a-kind beginner course, LIVE sessions, community, Bootcamps, and 1:1!
You don’t have to do it alone.
In The Online Writing Club, you’ll find an incredible group of 350+ writers, many of them 50+, who are building newsletters, writing their books, growing their audience, and supporting each other every step of the way.
👉 Want in?
For just $98/year, you get:
✨ Access to my Substack Course for Beginners (Substack School)
✨ Entry to the private inner circle & community
✨ A space to connect, collaborate, and grow
More Structure and Support?
Then the Substack Kickstarter Bootcamp is your next step. It’s designed to help you go from “just starting” to earning your first $1000, with guidance, prompts, and the system that helped me build my top #25 global newsletter.
This is from one of the members:
You can ask me questions anytime in the DMs.
I’m here to help you build your own upward spiral - one spiral step at a time.
Let’s make you one of the lucky ones!
P.S. If you loved this post or think someone needs to read this, please share 🔁 it with your friends, colleagues, and family as this means A LOT to me as a part-time mompreneur and my (lucky) guests. Thanks so much! 🔁
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Thanks for the opportunity to guest post for you! It’s part of my own lucky spiral!
This is very insightful Tiffany. Thank you!